B9Scrambler
Headphoneus Supremus
Hello Head-fi,
I was listening to my recently received EPH-100 (replica) iems, and felt like comparing them to my two other budget canalphone iems, the KZ Micro Ring and JVC HA-FRD60.
*Tips used: JVC with Micro Ring mediums, EPH-100 with random tips I found outside of a Future Shop (don't ask), Micro Ring with Huawei Honor large.*
This is going to be a pretty casual comparo. I spent many an hour listening to Supertramp (Crime of the Century, Retrospectacle Anthology), EDM mixes from SubSil3nt Podcast (amazing...be sure to check him out), Rage Against the Machine (random songs I've picked up over the years), and some other random rock and electronic beats. File quality ranged from 128 kbps to FLAC. For equipment I used the Plantronics Rig amp plugged into my aging ASUS G73 gaming laptop. Here are my findings, starting with the venerable KZ Micro Ring.
KZ Micro Ring (12 USD)
- least fatiguing
- warmest of the three, with the thickest presentation
- nice mid-bass punch
- slightly veiled mids
- spacious soundstage, but could be deeper
- most balanced/neutral signature
- detailed, simblance free treble
- driven easily by any source
- shine with any genre
- mild improvement with amping
- best all-round iem of the three
Yamaha EPH-100 (replica) (30.00 USD)
- most spacious soundstage (depth especially)
- most forward mids
- signature tilted towards upper mids and treble; gets fatiguing after a while
- tight, quick bass
- excellent imaging and panning
- top notch detail and clarity; too revealing for low quality tracks
- greatly benefits from amping; without they sound a little dull
- most natural sounding with vocals and live instruments
- most technically adept iem of the three
- purchased here
JVC HA-FRD60 (20-40 USD)
- most difficult to achieve a decent fit with
- flawless build quality; cable is a standout
- features a very good inline mic
- offers up a very energetic, v-shaped signature; gets fatiguing over long listening sessions
- sub-bass unmatched
- most intimate soundstage but due to thin mids and treble, it never sounds congested
- treble can sound splashy
- mids are pulled back a touch, but as still clear and are not overshadowed by other frequencies
- excels with EDM, hip hop
- very receptive to EQing
- most entertaining iem of the three
Build Quality: (Housing): FRD60 > EPH-100 > Micro Ring
Cable Quality: FRD60 > Micro Ring > EPH-100
Fit/Comfort: Micro Ring > EPH-100 > FRD60
Treble: EPH-100 > Micro Ring > FRD60
Mids: EPH-100 > Micro Ring > FRD60
Bass: FRD60 > EPH-100 > Micro Ring
Microphonics: FRD60 > Micro Ring > EPH-100 (worn able up, this is pretty much a wash as none display much cable noise at all)
Isolation: EPH-100 >/= FRD60 > Micro Ring
Value: Micro Ring > EPH-100 = FRD60
Overall:
While all three iems are excellent, the EPH-100 (replica) is the standout. They are absolutely steller with no major flaws in the way they sound. I would like to hear more sub-bass rumble, but the quality of mids and the way everything moves across the soundstage is just awesome and more than makes up for any deficiencies in bass output. They remind me a lot of the Titan 1 actually, but with less sub-bass, better stereo panning, and more forward mids. Initially I felt they were lacking the overall smoothness and refinement of the Titans, however due to brain or physical burn in this comment doesn't really seem to apply anymore. That they hold up so well to such a juggernaut at 1/3rd the cost says a lot.
The KZ Micro Ring. I have a soft spot for these because they offer up pretty much the perfect signature to my ears. They are a great all-around iem that work with any genre you throw at them and would be the ones to get if you listen to a wide variety of music or just want something that performs very well at a low cost. They do benefit a little from amping, as it seems to clear up that midrange veil and boost clarity a bit. I would love to have given these first place, but the EPH-100 is just that much better. The FRD60 could have easily taken second had it not been for the troublesome time i had getting a good seal and the occasionally splashy treble, which I have low tolerance for.
The FRD60 are excellent, with a very strong v-shaped signature. They are very, very receptive to minor adjustments with an EQ, so if you are good with an equalizer these would probably be the ones to get. They are versatile enough with an eq to become essentially whatever you want them to be; neutral, bass-head, etc. They didn't really seem to benefit from amping. I personally prefer to eq them into bass-head status as there is no distortion or bleed into the mids. These things can hit hard and deep, they just need a bit of encouragement. If this comparo was purely based on having a good time, these would easily be in the #1 spot.
Rankings:
1. EPH-100
2. Micro Ring
3. FRD60 (could be #2 for those that like to mess around with EQ)
Don't know if this would ever be helpful for anyone, but at least I enjoyed the process. When I inevitably get more iems of this style, I'll update.
- Scrambler
I was listening to my recently received EPH-100 (replica) iems, and felt like comparing them to my two other budget canalphone iems, the KZ Micro Ring and JVC HA-FRD60.
*Tips used: JVC with Micro Ring mediums, EPH-100 with random tips I found outside of a Future Shop (don't ask), Micro Ring with Huawei Honor large.*
This is going to be a pretty casual comparo. I spent many an hour listening to Supertramp (Crime of the Century, Retrospectacle Anthology), EDM mixes from SubSil3nt Podcast (amazing...be sure to check him out), Rage Against the Machine (random songs I've picked up over the years), and some other random rock and electronic beats. File quality ranged from 128 kbps to FLAC. For equipment I used the Plantronics Rig amp plugged into my aging ASUS G73 gaming laptop. Here are my findings, starting with the venerable KZ Micro Ring.
KZ Micro Ring (12 USD)
- least fatiguing
- warmest of the three, with the thickest presentation
- nice mid-bass punch
- slightly veiled mids
- spacious soundstage, but could be deeper
- most balanced/neutral signature
- detailed, simblance free treble
- driven easily by any source
- shine with any genre
- mild improvement with amping
- best all-round iem of the three
Yamaha EPH-100 (replica) (30.00 USD)
- most spacious soundstage (depth especially)
- most forward mids
- signature tilted towards upper mids and treble; gets fatiguing after a while
- tight, quick bass
- excellent imaging and panning
- top notch detail and clarity; too revealing for low quality tracks
- greatly benefits from amping; without they sound a little dull
- most natural sounding with vocals and live instruments
- most technically adept iem of the three
- purchased here
JVC HA-FRD60 (20-40 USD)
- most difficult to achieve a decent fit with
- flawless build quality; cable is a standout
- features a very good inline mic
- offers up a very energetic, v-shaped signature; gets fatiguing over long listening sessions
- sub-bass unmatched
- most intimate soundstage but due to thin mids and treble, it never sounds congested
- treble can sound splashy
- mids are pulled back a touch, but as still clear and are not overshadowed by other frequencies
- excels with EDM, hip hop
- very receptive to EQing
- most entertaining iem of the three
Build Quality: (Housing): FRD60 > EPH-100 > Micro Ring
Cable Quality: FRD60 > Micro Ring > EPH-100
Fit/Comfort: Micro Ring > EPH-100 > FRD60
Treble: EPH-100 > Micro Ring > FRD60
Mids: EPH-100 > Micro Ring > FRD60
Bass: FRD60 > EPH-100 > Micro Ring
Microphonics: FRD60 > Micro Ring > EPH-100 (worn able up, this is pretty much a wash as none display much cable noise at all)
Isolation: EPH-100 >/= FRD60 > Micro Ring
Value: Micro Ring > EPH-100 = FRD60
Overall:
While all three iems are excellent, the EPH-100 (replica) is the standout. They are absolutely steller with no major flaws in the way they sound. I would like to hear more sub-bass rumble, but the quality of mids and the way everything moves across the soundstage is just awesome and more than makes up for any deficiencies in bass output. They remind me a lot of the Titan 1 actually, but with less sub-bass, better stereo panning, and more forward mids. Initially I felt they were lacking the overall smoothness and refinement of the Titans, however due to brain or physical burn in this comment doesn't really seem to apply anymore. That they hold up so well to such a juggernaut at 1/3rd the cost says a lot.
The KZ Micro Ring. I have a soft spot for these because they offer up pretty much the perfect signature to my ears. They are a great all-around iem that work with any genre you throw at them and would be the ones to get if you listen to a wide variety of music or just want something that performs very well at a low cost. They do benefit a little from amping, as it seems to clear up that midrange veil and boost clarity a bit. I would love to have given these first place, but the EPH-100 is just that much better. The FRD60 could have easily taken second had it not been for the troublesome time i had getting a good seal and the occasionally splashy treble, which I have low tolerance for.
The FRD60 are excellent, with a very strong v-shaped signature. They are very, very receptive to minor adjustments with an EQ, so if you are good with an equalizer these would probably be the ones to get. They are versatile enough with an eq to become essentially whatever you want them to be; neutral, bass-head, etc. They didn't really seem to benefit from amping. I personally prefer to eq them into bass-head status as there is no distortion or bleed into the mids. These things can hit hard and deep, they just need a bit of encouragement. If this comparo was purely based on having a good time, these would easily be in the #1 spot.
Rankings:
1. EPH-100
2. Micro Ring
3. FRD60 (could be #2 for those that like to mess around with EQ)
Don't know if this would ever be helpful for anyone, but at least I enjoyed the process. When I inevitably get more iems of this style, I'll update.
- Scrambler
Those Sony's do sound like they would be a good buy. Is the stock cable really that bad? I see you have two pairs, one stock one modded.
